St. Louis BBQ pork steaks, a regional specialty doused in barbecue sauce and slowly cooked until tender.
St. Louis BBQ Pork Steaks
I’ve moved around a lot since college, mostly within the Midwest. Every place has its own local specialties, and when we relocated to St. Louis fifteen years ago I discovered foods I hadn’t known before: Provel cheese, toasted ravioli and paper-thin crust pizza. But the true local favorite is pork steaks. I had never seen or heard of pork steaks until we lived in St. Louis.
So what is a St. Louis pork steak? It’s a blade steak cut from the pork shoulder (often labeled pork butt) — the same cut used for slow-cooked dishes. These steaks are inexpensive and commonly on sale in St. Louis grocery stores. Because the cut contains connective tissue, it is tough if cooked quickly over high heat; you can’t just toss them straight on the grill and expect a tender result. I learned that the hard way the first time I tried.
Properly prepared, a St. Louis pork steak is slightly chewy but tender and soaked in a flavorful barbecue sauce — often a local brand. My first attempt was disappointing until a neighbor suggested braising the steaks in barbecue sauce until tender, then finishing them on the grill for a little char. That method transformed them.
Over the years I’ve collected several St. Louis-style pork steak recipes from newspapers and magazines. One of my favorites is adapted from a Cook’s Country recipe published in the local paper: brown the steaks, make a beer-based barbecue sauce, place everything in a disposable pan, cover and cook on the grill until fork-tender. It’s simple, reliable and delicious.
Pork steaks weren’t common where I lived before St. Louis. Now they’re everywhere during summer — at pop-up BBQ stands and backyard grills for holidays. It’s a local tradition we love.
St. Louis BBQ Pork Steaks
Ingredients
- 1½ cups ketchup
- 2 cups light-bodied American beer
- ¼ cup steak sauce (like A.1.)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Frank’s)
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 6–8 pork steaks (adjust for size)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. For gas grills, turn all burners to high for 15 minutes. For charcoal, use enough coals to cover the grill circumference for steady heat.
- Make the sauce: whisk together the ketchup, beer, steak sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic powder, hot sauce and liquid smoke in a large bowl. Transfer the sauce to a large disposable aluminum pan and set aside.
- Season the pork steaks with freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steaks until well browned, about 6–7 minutes per side.
- Transfer the browned steaks to the pan with the sauce and turn to coat. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it back on the grill. Turn the burners down to low and cook for about 90 minutes, or until the steaks are tender. Check after about an hour; if the sauce is getting too thick or looks dry, add a little water.
- Carefully remove the pan from the grill. Transfer the steaks to a serving platter. Skim any excess fat from the sauce and spoon it over the steaks or serve it on the side.
Recipe Notes
- If your pork steaks are very large, cut them to size so portions cook evenly.
- For a bit of char, you can briefly return the steaks to high heat and grill a few minutes per side after braising.
- To adapt for the oven: brown the steaks, place in a roasting pan with the sauce, cover and bake at 300°F (150°C) for a couple of hours until tender.
- Use a light-bodied American beer in the sauce for balanced flavor.
- Recipe adapted from a Cook’s Country/St. Louis Post-Dispatch method for St. Louis-style pork steaks.
Nutrition
If you try these BBQ pork steaks or any of my recipes, please rate it and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out — I love hearing from readers.